Rural Regeneration Fund

Rural Regeneration

Project Ireland 2040 is the government’s long-term overarching strategy to make Ireland a better country for all of its people and was launched early in 2018. It is the Governments overarching policy and planning framework for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland and includes a detailed capital investment plan for the next ten years. The Fund provides investment to support rural renewal for suitable projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. Banteer a Smart Village A 3D Drawing of the new clubhouse and dressing rooms at Banteer IRD Duhallow, has worked with the Community Sportsfield which will community in Banteer for over three include an Air to Water heating system funded by IRD Duhallow under the decades. Through the animation and LEADER Renewable Energy sub theme. capacity building of successive LEADER programmes that dynamic community, in a small rural village at the foot of Mount Hillary, has developed a range of significant projects to improve the quality of life and economic prospects of all its citizens. Their first project was to renovate the derelict school building, outside the village and turn it into a fine modern theatre, building on the strength of its active drama group, the Glen Theatre operates as a community enterprise.

Maura Walsh CEO IRD Duhallow completes a site visit as part of the contract of the Rural Regeneration Fund with Members of the Committee Banteer has always boasted strong leaders including the founder of IRD Duhallow, Jerry Sheehan who along with fellow Banteer residents, Michael Doyle and Tim Lucey, served on the first board of IRD Duhallow, with Tim Lucey succeeding Jerry Sheehan as Chairman. In fact, Banteer has had more members elected to our board than any other community with Denis Withers, John Kirwan, Don Crowley, Noreen Duggan, Pat Buckley, Elaine White, the late Caroline Fleming RIP and Daniel Roche all Directors. The Community Structure that was developed by local leader Denis Withers after serving a term on our board, was based largely on the IRD Duhallow model, whereby the main legal entity develops the expertise, takes care of the governance and financial accountability and has within it a range of working groups and subcommittees that are then free to focus their expertise and voluntary effort on their particular interest. Thus the community hall was upgraded to serve the needs of the area including a Senior Citizens group, affiliated to our Saoí network, an active Youth Club and Macra na Feirme Group all based there. It was expanded to include a community gym and indoor astroturf. Another sub group was tasked with developing a community crèche, one of the first in the region to be supported by IRD Duhallow to successfully apply for the EU Equal Opportunities Childcare funding. This facility is operating for over 20 years as a community enterprise, employing almost 40 staff and catering for over 250 children. The Banteer Pond field, home of the famed Banteer Sports was next to be tackled. It lies outside the village centre beside the community playing pitch. It had an illustrious past boasting the first cinder cycling track and with local Olympians Dr Pat O Callaghan, the first Irishman to win an Olympic medal and Denis Horgan, the great weight thrower, training and competing there, it deserved to be developed as a community sports and recreation hub for the region. The pond was cleared up, the surrounding area landscaped and a walking circuit developed that was later lit for safety and extended to circumvent the pitch. A LEADER funded Playground was then added to the complex. In total the community has completed projects worth over €6m euro, and was until this latest Rural Regeneration Project debt free, having paid

back all of its loans at that point.

Minister Heather Humphreys presenting the cheque of €1.128m with members of the Banteer Community Sportsfield Committee, IRD Duhallow Chairperson Mary Wallace, Louise Bourke, Conor Judge and Cllr John Paul O’Shea, and Cllr Gerard Murphy.

Awarded €1.2m in 2019, Trojan work has been done with the pitch completed to a very high standard. 25% of the costs is being raised by the local community through fundraising, sponsorship and loans. The project entailed the development of a regulation sized Astroturf pitch and support facilities for use by all sports in the county throughout the year and in particular during the wet winter months. In fact, in order to complete the spectator stand, dressing rooms, café and exhibition centre to preserve and display the magnificent sporting history of Banteer’s Athletic Sports Field, the community will need to raise a further €60,000 and hope to receive the additional €130,000 from national funds. LEADER has come on board again with a grant for installing renewable energy and completing a new bus and car park there. This project will ensure that Banteer, a small rural village, will continue to thrive and will once again become the significant regional sporting hub it once was. Banteer Community Sportsfield will operate the facility as a social enterprise, with 15 Directors led by Denis Withers, the project leader who has promoted the Banteer Astroturf Development and Project Ireland 2040 to other communities and also presented at a Project Ireland 2040 event, which was addressed, by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney, Minister Michael Ringand the then Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, who is now Minister for Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands.

Denis, Sean and Donal Kelly of Kelly Bros Ballydesmond, the contractors that carried out the development of the Astroturf pitch.